Basketball fans were treated to a potential NBA Finals preview on Saturday as the Boston Celtics hosted the Los Angeles Lakers for an inter-conference clash. Joe Mazzulla & Co. had the last laugh at TD Garden as the Celtics picked up a hard-earned 111-101 victory in a game that saw LeBron James exit with a leg injury.
Boston stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum played big roles in the win; however, it was Al Horford's performance that had fans' attention. The veteran power forward played well at both ends of the floor, turning back the clock by tallying 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 37 minutes of work.
Following Horford's impactful performance, Mazzulla had quite the praise to share regarding the Celtics fan-favorite.
Celtics News: Joe Mazzulla Predicts Hall of Fame Nomination for Al Horford
Mazzulla had nothing but kind words to speak about Horford during his post-game interview, according to The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. The Celtics head coach admitted that the 38-year-old's performance was so good that he "wasn't even coaching" as the game went on, and he even went as far as predicting a Hall of Fame announcement for Horford one day.
"I was just watching him, and I thought, 'Man, this guy's a future Hall of Famer,'" Mazzulla said. "I get to watch this for free... I think he was motivated by that, and he's just an innate competitor who inspires our team."
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown helped the Celtics win their showdown with the Lakers, 111-101, at TD Garden on Saturday. https://t.co/bDTACjKSVN
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) March 9, 2025
If Horford is only being judged by his NBA career, a Hall of Fame nomination would be unlikely. Having said that, a potential HOF nod would take the veteran big man's collegiate and international accomplishments into account, making him more than deserving of the sport's highest honor.
In terms of college basketball, Horford is a former SEC Tournament MVP who won back-to-back national championships with the Florida Gators (2006 and 2007). Even the best basketball players have a hard time sniffing a national title, let alone two in back-to-back campaigns.
Internationally, Horford is often seen as the best player to ever come out of the Dominican Republic. The Puerto Plata native has represented his home country on various stages, which includes a 2012 Centrobasket gold medal and 2011 FIBA AmeriCup bronze medal.
Horford made Dominican history by becoming the first player from his country to win the NBA Finals last June. As a result of the accomplishment, the Dominican Republic honored him just a few months later with the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez, and Mella — the country's highest award.
As for his NBA career, Horford has often been in the mix for the league's best players. Although he's never won an MVP award, he's still a five-time All-Star who's made All-NBA third-team and All-Defensive second-team appearances in his 18-year career.
Fast forward to the current season, when Horford's performance has been up and down. The multi-time NBA All-Star is averaging 8.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 41.8% from the floor and 35.8% from deep in 50 appearances (34 starts) so far. While it's far from his best showing, Saturday's win proved that Horford could be saving his best for the playoffs.
If he can help the Celtics return to the Finals and capture another NBA ring, his spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame would take a step closer to becoming a reality.
Fortunately, there's a good chance that another banner will be raised in TD Garden sooner rather than later. FanDuel Sportsbook is listing the Celtics as the current 2024-25 NBA Finals favorites (+180) heading into the regular season's final stretch.
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